Quarry environmental conditions 'up to State Govt'

The Sunshine Coast council says it is up to the Queensland Government to make changes to a management plan for a controversial quarry in the Noosa hinterland.

Kin Kin residents are concerned about the quarry's potential impact on water quality in the Noosa River and the impact of haulage trucks on Pomona-Kin Kin Road.

The council will vote on the Kin Kin Quarry's management plan at a meeting next week.

Councillor Tony Wellington says council can only make minor "tweaks" to the plan.

"The management plan considers the operations of the quarry and various ways that council can impact upon [it]," he said.

"What we can't do is impose any new conditions on the quarry and nor can we effectively prevent the quarry from proceeding because there is already an existing court approval for the quarry to proceed."

Cr Wellington says it is up to the State Government to impose strict environmental conditions.

"Because there is an approval already for the quarry to proceed, council is forced into a position where is has to actually release a management plan," he said.

"We can only make very minor tweaks so what we have to do is come up with acceptable solutions that allow the activity to proceed.

"It is up to the State Government to impose strong conditions regarding the environmental impact of that activity."

The president of the Kin Kin Community Group, Tim Collett, says he is concerned the council could drop amendments to the management plan that would reduce sediment run-off into the Noosa River.

"This million-tonne capacity quarry is actually situated on the headlands of the river in a catchment that contributes one-third of the water flowing into the Noosa River, so it's a very sensitive area," he said.

"One of the problems about this mega quarry development is that people think oh it's a Kin Kin problem but they can't see this expands throughout the whole Noosa Shire."